Castle: The Way of the Ninja (6x18)

This episode was all about the case of the week, and not so much about the characters. That's normally not a good omen, and I suppose I wasn't such a big fan of this episode in the end. However, for what it was trying to be, I think this one was okay.

Jade, a Japanese woman, is killed, and the team is sent to investigate. She was a ballet dancer, but as they look into her history, they discover all sorts of weird stuff about her. Her history seems to be erased, and she grew up in an orphanage. Turns out, she was trying to avenge her parent's deaths. Castle and Beckett track down the murder weapon, but it gets stolen - by a ninja!

Things get more and more complicated, until finally they realize that the victim's boyfriend's father is actually a member of the yakuza, and he was responsible for the deaths of Jade and her parents. Jade's sister gets involved, but instead of killing her family's murderer, she lets the police take him into custody.

Along the way, Beckett goes out to dinner with an old friend who used to be very exciting, but now is boring because she's married. Castle has to go undercover and allows a young woman (essentially a call girl) to kiss him. Beckett laments that this sort of place is filled with men who are bored with their wives, and now her friend has turned boring after marriage. Castle and Beckett agree to put something in their vows: they will never get bored with one another, and will always make time for romance.

What were my problems with the episode? Well, it's a bit annoying that the Japanese victim was tied up in all of these weird Japanese mob events and mysterious killings. It was like they were trying to tie the whole thing up in as many Japanese stereotypes as possible. The ninja thing got a few laughs but it got old pretty quick.

Then there was the whole Beckett and Castle thing. Beckett's worried that she and Castle will get  boring? Why? It seems like they're one of the most exciting couples out there. They've known each other for years and years, and the romance hasn't died. They've only gotten closer as time passes. I think what bothered me about this is that the show speaks for itself on these matters, and this brief plot line undermines the strength of their relationship.

But hey, it's not all bad, or anything. I did enjoy Castle's enthusiasm about the ninjas. His childlike enjoyment of all of these mysteries is one of the main reasons why I think he and Beckett will never become boring.

Also, I quite enjoyed the actual case, even if this sort of thing is never my main cup of tea. I really felt for Jade's sister, and all of the heartbreak she was going through. Also, the twist about Jade's boyfriend's father was quite well done. I certainly didn't see it coming!

I feel bad, because this is even shorter than usual... but I guess I'll leave it at that!

7/10